1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to archers' shooting bows. More particularly, it pertains to such bows in which the bow limbs are arranged to flex in a manner analogous to simply supported beams rather than as cantilever beams.
2. Review of the Prior Art
So far as is known, all archers' shooting bows, from earliest primitive time, have used limbs which flex as cantilever beams. This is the case in simple bows, recurved bows, crossbows and in the more recently developed compound bows such as are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,486,495. Archery is a rapidly expanding sport worldwide, and improvements in bows are continually being sought to improve their performance. This invention provides substantial performance improvements in archers' shooting bows.
The present invention is believed to have increased significance when used in a compound bow, but the invention can be used to advantage in more conventional bows such as recurved bows. Compound bows involve complex rigging of the bowstring over pulleys carried by the bow limbs. This rigging makes it virtually impossible to unstring the bow when it is not in use. Thus, the limbs of compound bows are always under significant stress, which eventually leads to a degradation of the limb fibers and a reduction in the bow weight (the amount of force needed to flex the bow limbs to a condition of full draw of the bowstring) with time for a given setting of the bow. This means that periodic retuning of compound bows is needed to maintain desired performance levels. The use of this invention in a compound bow makes it possible to effectively unstring the bow during periods of nonuse, thus enabling the limbs to relax essentially entirely.
The present invention provides other advantages which are set forth in the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof.